Lindley originally joined Swindon as a coach in 1951, stepping up to the manager's seat two years later, when Louis Page was sacked.

His spell in charge was not a happy one - with the club in financial difficulty, houses were sold to raise cash for players, but Lindley was given just £3,000 to spend. He spent most of this on one player - Matt Gemmell from Portsmouth costing £2,250, and he made just eight appearances for the club.

Swindon finished in their lowest league position in Lindley's first season - 20th - and when the 1954/55 season looked to be going the same way, he was given three months' notice in January 1955. By the time he left the club in April, the Town were well on the way to beating the record set the previous year - with a terrible away record which saw just one win and fifteen defeats, they finished in a lowly 21st position.